hampton



F. H. F. HAMPTON.

smmms Pocfzss AND APPARATUS. .VYAPPLAICATION FILED MAH. 3U. 1916.

Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

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'an srnrns PATENT orricii.

` i H. HAMPTON, 0F SEWELL, CHILE, ASSIGNOR QF ONE-HALFTO W. W.

STENNING, 0F LONDUN, ENG-LAND.

sirnnriiie PRocEss AND Arriiiurrus.l

Specification of Letters Patent.

application ined narcn so, 191e. serial No. 87,736.

To all whom t may eoncemf Be it known that I, FRANK HOWARD ylhaanmair HAMPTON, a subject of Grreat Britain, and residing at Sewell, Rancagua, Chile, have invented a new and Improved Smelting Process and Apparatus of which the following specication is afull disclosure.

.'lhis invention deals with an improved system for eecting metallurgical operations and, in this preferred more concrete aspect, it proposes a process especially adapted for smelting a nely divided product, as well as an apparatus instrumental in carrying out said process.

One Vobject within the contemplation of this invention is to render available a system comprehending a novel process and apparatus whereby any finely divided concentrate or ore such as that recovered b tion process, may be automatica y and continuously smelted to matte and slag by means of heat derived from the combustion of any fuel capable of atomization.

Another object is to organize a process such that a finely divided ore may, without being briqueted, be eciently` smelted by means of pulverized coal which is unsuitable for ordinary conditions o f combustion.

Another object is to create a smelting structure of a?simple and comparatively inexpensive design whereby a i'inely divided product may -be continuously and eciently smelted and whereby the herein disclosed process may be edectively carried out.

Various other objects and advantages will be in part .obvious from the annexed drawhill ings and 1n part indicated in connection therewith by the following analysis of this invention.

'llhis invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of parts and in the relative proportioning and disposition thereof and in the unique relations of the various steps and operations, all as more completely outlined herein.

'llo enable others skilled in the art so fully to comprehend the underlying features thereof that they may embody the same 'by the numerous modifications structure and relation contemplated by this invention, drawings/,depicting a preferred form of my proposed apparatus have been annexed as a' parl; of this disclosure, and in such drawings, like: characters of reference denote correthe flotawith sponding parts throughoutall the views of which: v

Figure 1 represents in vertical median section a furnace embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section ofsaid furnace taken along line B-B of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 1s a fragmentary vertical radial section taken along line C-C'of-Fig. 2.

Continuing now by way of a more detailed description of the shown exemplication of this invention it may be primarily noted that one of the prominent characteristics of this process resides in performing the smelting reactions while the material is in a dispersed state of suspension in a gaseous blast. The particles are individuallysmelted curred by attempts to briquet or otheri wise bring the product into a bulky condi-v tion.

`My invention, however, proposes -to proceed directly with the smelting of the product while it is in its pulverulent condition and to employ cheap pulverulent fuel in doing so.

4'llo that end it establishes zones of temperatures progressively varying in accordance the progress of the metallurgical reactions and to cause the particles to project or gravitate. through said temperature zones while simultaneously sub- ]ected lto smelting conditions so that said particles may ultimately gravitateor rain down in the form of slag and matte to coalesce with a bath formed thereby. Preferably, the temperatures and smelting Patented` Sept. 9, 1919. y

conditions are established by correctly prov portioning air and. atomized fuel in relation to the composition of the charge so that complete combustion of the fuel wil-l be had as a result of the combined 'oxidizing edects of' the air and of the charge. These materials are projected into a smelting chamber in the form of a blast carrylng the particles in 1n the chamber to -gravitate through the a state of suspension and permitting theml "t also with t centrate from the flotation bath of matte and slag y may be effected chamber.

flame in more highly heated portions of the gases which are deflected by the walls of the chamber so as to control this action.

This may best be understood by referring to the drawings showing an upstanding cylindrical smelting chamber a formed of magnesite brick or other available heat resisting material and preferablv having a removable dome shaped top and providing parts for the entry of the combustion and smelting ingredients and for the withdrawal of the products of combustion and smelting. Thus, the `lower portion of the smelting chamber a is provided in its center with an upstanding charging twyer c which is directed upwardly coaxially with the chamber and which upstands sufhciently in the nature of a nozzle to provide fora collection receptacle b forming a hearth for containing the and permitting the same to be tapped o at any convenient point; by means of -thle furnace, spout shown in Fig. 3 and thence to the settler in thepit r. p

This charging twyer c may be utilized for supplying the chamber not only with air and the pulverulent charging material, but suiicient carbon in the nature of ulverulent fuel to form the requisite heat y burning this heat to also combine with the oxidizable ingredients in the charge to smelt, the same. Either solid, liquid or gas fuel maybe used, or any mixture of any two; and a without disturbingthe continulty of the furnace operation, or without changing the conditions of the smelting Should solid fuel be used, it may or further pulverized and aut-omatically and continuously fed into the blast and fuell main m, or through the feed opening n by means of an adjustable feeder; and if oil or gas fuel delivered to' a suitable burner o by means of a pipe p.

Only the exact amount of air required for be initially 1s used for the blast. This blast air is drawn through the blast air heating 'jacket h by a conventional blower and is delivered through the blast and fuel main .m at a temperature sucientto deliver the charge to the smelting chamberat a temperature of about 500 deg. C.

The material to be smelted, such as conprocess of recovery or any other finely divided concentrate orl ore, is automatically and continuously fed through the feed opening n by any conventional means. The charge together with its correct proportion of air and fuel, becoming perfectly mixed, is projected into the smelting chamber through the charge and blast twyer C in the form of a dust with the air and under the in- Change from one to either be used it may be the complete combustion of the fuel elements cloud, at a temperature of about 500 deg. C. and is ignited by the heat thrown oil' from the brickwork surrounding the twyer. This dust cloud enters the smelting chamber, at a relatively high velocity. Owing to expansion the air very soon loses part of its initial velocity, but the larger particles of solids, by virtue of their momentum rise upward in the central current of flame until overcome by gravity their direction changes and they follow the descending current of gases, being on their downward journey subjected to the heat radiated from the central column of flame and heat reverberated from the encircling brick walls. The formation of any considerable amount of flue dust is prevented by the particles of solids, together with any ash from the fuel being forced through the zone of highest temperature where they will fuseJ and fall to the hearth and assume their respective p-laces in the matte and slag.

.The temperature of the charge being about 500 deg. C. all moisture present will be instantly changed to water vapor and directly after any combined water will be evaporated. When the temperature of 700 deg. C. is reached, FeS2 will change to FeS and S, the latter being oxidized instantly to SO2, and if solid fuel be present, some SO2 may react as follows -SO2 plus C=S plus CO2 plus 27,940 cals. As the charge finely divided and carried upward by the current of air reaches a higher temperature of 900 deg. to 1000 deg. C. the FeS will be oxidized to FeO plus SO2, and simultaneously the former will unite exothermically with the Si()2 of the charge thus forming the slag. The minute spray of matte and slag thus formed will fall slowly to the bottom of the smelting chamber, with the descending gases at the side, or will collect on the sides of the smelting chamber and trickle slowly to the bottom. Any CaO present will be melted and then absorbed bythe FeO, SiO2 mixture forming 'a ferro-calcio silicate slag. The mixture of slag and matte at the bottom will separate slow y as in the fore-hearth, but if tapped constantly a fore-hearth must be used.

As the pulverizedr charge enters the blast which hasbeen previously heated to a temperature sufiiciently high to raise the temperature of the total charge to 500 deg. C. before it reaches the furnace proper, the first event to take place is the evaporation of all moisture present to water vapor. Any combined water present will be evaporated next.

The CO formed by the fuel on first entering the smelting cha ber will reduce CuO to Cu. accordin to the equation CuO plus O=Cu plus O2, and the blast will be regulated to oxidize only the C and no S, andas the charge` ascends in the smelting islaam chamber to a point 'Where a temperature of about 900 deg. C. is reached, the formation of the slag in the form of a spray commences; the constituents of the slag being essentially the Fe() and Si02 in the charge, together with any 0a0 and Al203 which may be present. Any CuS entering the furnace will rst be more or less oxidized to 0110. Scorification ofthe metallic copper is prevented by sulfurizing the Cu to 0u2S by means of the FeS present according to the equation 20u plus FeS=0u2S plus Fe.

The Fe thus formed being slagged simul-l taneously by the Si02. The sla and matte collect in the bottom of the sme ting chamber as in the case of partial pyritic smelting previously quoted.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of this invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting certain features that, from the standpoint of the prior art, fairly constitute, essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention, and therefore such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalency of the following claims.

Having thus revealed this invention, l claim as new and desire to secure the following combinations of Steps and elements, or `equivalents thereof, by Letters Patent of the United States y 1. A smelting process which comprehends projecting a finely-divided self-fluxin material upwardly into a zone sufficiently heated to cause the formation of melted slag; permitting the melted globules to coalesce to form a bath4 of slag and valuable products, and causing all the gases to escape at the base only of said zone.

2. A smelting apparatus combining a smelting chamber having a closed top means for maintaining the same at a smelting temperature; means for projecting self-uxin material into said chamber in disperse form, whereby the same may be smelted; outlets for the gas located at the base of said chamber and means for collecting the molten products.

3. A smelting process. which comprehends causing a finely-divided self-uxing material together with gas to uprise and descend together with the gas through a high temperature zone to be smelted therein in a state' witnesses.

it HFRNKMN HAMrroN.

Witnesses:

J. lF. MGGUIRK, JOHN GARVIN. 

